Perplexity AI: the search engine challenging Google in 2025

Perplexity answers questions with sourced answers instead of a list of links. The numbers behind its growth, what it costs, and where it beats or loses to Google, ChatGPT and Claude.

Perplexity AI is valued at 18 billion dollars and handles more than 400 million searches a month. Here is what it does differently from Google, and whether it is worth paying for.

Answers, not links

A traditional search engine hands you a wall of blue links. Perplexity reads your question, searches the web in real time, and returns one coherent answer in plain language.

The useful part is the sourcing. Every answer comes with numbered references, so you can see exactly where each claim comes from and check it yourself.

The growth numbers

• 400 million searches a month
• 22 million active users
• 66% growth in search interest over the past year
• 155 million monthly visits

Where it is useful

Students and researchers

Academic work is where Perplexity does its best work. You can upload several research papers and have it point out where they agree, where they differ, and where the results contradict each other.

Current events

The real-time search makes it a good fit for breaking news, elections or sports.

Shopping

It compares prices and specifications across retailers.

What it does well

• Every claim is backed by a verifiable source
• It does not track your searches for advertising, unlike Google
• Pro users can switch between different AI models
• Users estimate they save 50-70% of their time on research tasks

Where it falls short

• It sometimes hallucinates and produces inaccurate information
• ChatGPT is usually the better choice for creative work
• The answers are only as good as the sources behind them
• The advanced features take time to learn

Pricing

• Free: 3 Pro searches per day
• Pro (200 kr. per month): unlimited searches, advanced AI models, file upload
• Max (1,500 kr. per month): everything in Pro, unlimited Labs access, priority support

Against the competition

• Vs Google: direct answers instead of links
• Vs ChatGPT: ChatGPT wins on creative tasks. Perplexity wins on freshness and sourcing.
• Vs Claude: Claude is better for long conversations that need depth. Perplexity is faster when you just need a fact.

Is it worth it?

For students, researchers, journalists and anyone who works with information for a living, Perplexity has earned a place in the toolbox. Start with the free plan. Three Pro searches a day is enough to find out whether it fits the way you work.